Bridgend Social Services Spent 8 times more on legal action than on helping Families in 2011 / 2012
Bridgend Social Services Spent 8 Times More Money on Legal Action than on Helping Families in 2011 /2012
Figures released by Bridgend Country Borough Council in South Wales, UK reveal that the money being spent to rip families apart through a very questionable legal system is 8 times the amount being spent to assist families with children in the community.
The figures released are for financial years 2007 – 2012. See tables below.
Budget allocated and total spent assisting families with children in the community
Financial Year Allocated Budget Spent Budget
2007/08 £72,840.00 £98,947.26
2008/09 £72,840.00 £101,576.41
2009/10 £72,840.00 £162.576.46
2010/11 £134,840.00 £127,585.41
2011/12 £99.840.00 £106.550.75
Budget allocated and total spent through legal proceedings brought against families
Financial Year Allocated Budget Spent Budget
2007/08 £514,420.00 £606,583.50
2008/09 £ ,420.00 £525,484.04
2009/10 £651,420,00 £798,747.63
2012/11 £638,420.00 £867,419.92
2011/12 £717,365.00 £819,728.83
This confirms that the government is allocating 619% more money towards separating families than to assist families to remain together in the community.
Bridgend Country is a small area with a population of less than 40,000, in 2010/11 Bridgend Council spent almost £200,000 over their budget £867,419 for a small Welsh town.
The government and social services insist that they do everything possible to keep families together and that children are only taken in to state care as a last resort as set out in the Children’s Act. However their claims are inconsistent with their actions, the money spent in the community will also include the initial phases of assessing and confronting families in order to instigate the legal process.
If you are interested in finding out how much your local council is spending tearing apart the families is claims to help you can obtain this information through the Freedom of Information Act by letter, email or by using a site such as What do they know.
SSEC UK (research)